Love Game

Sometimes when you look back on things you wonder how you could have been so irrational and think you were being completely reasonable and sometimes you look back and realize not only were you being irrational, but you knew it and the only new thing you realize in retrospect is that took courage too. Maybe more.

**disclaimer** I own the idea the characters are borrowed

Summary: An AU where Ted and Robin are set up on a blind date by Lily and Barney who have been a couple ever since college started a month ago. Ted and Barney have been best friends since childhood and Lily just met Robin who is from Canada when they became roommates.

Robin was sprawled on Lily's canopy bed tapping lime green nails on her notebook. She and her roommate, Lily, had gotten manicures today since Lily was going to a party with her boyfriend tonight. Robin half-admired half-envied Lily's boundless energy and the way she turned everything she did into an exciting event. Considering the combination of her looks and personality, it wasn't hard to imagine why her new boyfriend found her so attractive. Currently, Robin was trying to complete her journalism project so she could go to the football game tomorrow. She loved aggressive sports and was discovering football after growing up an avid hockey fan. Lily, however, clearly had her own agenda for Robin's evening evidenced by her continuous interruptions.

"You don't believe in soul mates do you Robin?" Lily asked, analyzing whether her new boyfriend, Barney, was her soul mate. Lily twirled in front of the floor length mirror they bought their first weekend shopping admiring the new ruby choker around her neck. Her boyfriend was another freshman named Barney, Lily almost always referred to him in the possessive which probably was a throwback to her growing up an only child. Robin wouldn't know anything about that having two younger sisters.

"Yeah um I tend not to believe in things that don't exist." Robin answered, doubting this campus media article she had been procrastinating on was going to write itself. Everyone in the seminar was supposed to explore some form of internet media. Everyone was doing face book or twitter and she wanted to barf.

"Yes they do!" Lily shrieked as if Robin had expressed doubt in the existence of the holy grail.

"There's no proof. I'm a journalist; a social scientist if you will. It's my job to require proof Lily."

"It's called faith Robin."

Coming from Canada, Robin had expected American life to be a difficult transition. Yet, she surprisingly was growing rather accustomed to the states and being free of her over-bearing father. The pressure from trying to earn his love by accomplishing the black hole of expectations he had for his name-sake had become a drag long ago. Of course that wasn't something you told other people. Especially not people who couldn't relate to parentally inflicted scars.

"Faith does not apply to this Lily. Soulmates are just something made up so people can be forever wishing their lives were something they aren't. So they can be forever wishing their boyfriends or girlfriends were some ideal version of who they really are."

"Okay Robin! I get your point."

Robin glanced up as Lily sank down next to her. Looking like all her get ready to see her boyfriend Barney momentum suddenly got transplanted with dealing with the fact that every dream she had floating around in her head since she was six suddenly being crushed. She looked devastated.

"Come on Lily, it's not like I have all the answers" Robin amended, trying to gauge how much damage had been done.

"No Robin you're smart. Soulmates are totally unrealistic" Lily sniffed, trying not to ruin her mascara.

Uh oh, Robin had definitely gone too far. Now she had Lily doubting the existence of soul mates and according to Lily logic that would translate to her doubting everything she previously had faith in. And that would mean someday down the road when she was teaching all those preschoolers or kindergarteners, all those kids were not going to benefit from that faith. They won't believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny or even God all because their teacher's college roommate made her cynical. Robin flashed forward to a future version of herself covering a news story on an unexplained childhood atheist epidemic.

"Lily get a grip!" Robin said perhaps a little too forcefully.

Lily looked startled "Huh?"

Oh yeah, Robin realized, Lily hadn't literally been in her head that whole time.

"Um I mean, if you have faith in soul mates or whatever then you shouldn't just forget that because somebody challenges you a little." Robin tried not to cringe over the word "soul mates".

"Really, Robin so you're saying that maybe soul mates maybe exist maybe?" Robin envied how easily her optimism could be restored.

"Lily there are a lot of things that maybe exist" she responded carefully.

"Then you have to come tonight!"

"What?" Robin asked, feeling slightly manipulated.

"Well maybe this Ted guy is your soul mate."

Robin shot her a toxic glare. "Ted again? When are you going to give that up?"

"Robin if I told you once, I've told you a thousand times this is for your own good." Robin rolled her eyes Lily already sounded like a teacher. Now class this homework is for your own good!

Robin began to protest, but thought better of it and clamped her mouth shut. Lily had been literally pestering her for weeks about meeting her boyfriend's roommate Ted. She couldn't stand hearing about why this Ted was her soul mate for another second. She might as well just go; after all, the alternative was reducing herself to a night out with their suitemates Claire and Shelly.

Ted and Barney were chilling at a fraternity party across campus. Through Barney's mysterious connections within the popular social circuit he'd been invited to partake. Even if Ted was traditional and a hopeless romantic to a fault, he still couldn't imagine being best friends with anyone other than Barney. Sure being associated with Barney had gotten him in trouble from time to time, but he wouldn't change their relationship for anything.

"I can't believe I'm meeting her tonight!" Ted babbled excitedly, wound up so tight he couldn't contain himself. Barney's girlfriend, Lily, had just texted Robin was coming and super-excited to meet Ted. Barney speculated Lily was probably superimposing her own feelings on Robin, unless they were identical twins or something. Also, he definitely wasn't super-excited about this arranged date between their roommates because Ted tended to let girlfriends take over his better judgment two seconds into the relationship. Furthermore, Ted was a relationship-addict and Barney didn't want to be labeled the enabler for this or any relationship that would invariably implode down the road and Ted would turn on him for the scapegoat. Images of Victoria and Karen flashed through Barney's memory and he automatically scowled deciding some preemptive intervention was in order.

"Yeah Ted why don't you get a grip? I don't want some freak being my wingman." Barney demanded checking his Iphone. Everything Barney did seemed to make a statement. He stood there in his white dress shirt and tie, a black leather designer jacket, tight black jeans, and a black ski cap completed the outfit a stunning contrast to his snow blond locks.

"Sup Barn door" a couple of guys walking past extended a seemingly friendly greeting in Barney's direction. Barney issued them this disgusted look in return.

"How do you do that?" Ted asked amazed at Barney's irreverence for those who constituted the popular crowd.

"What?"

"That death glare. What did those guys even do to you?"

"Nothing," Barney answered "but what's the point in taking up with a bunch of frat bros from the first party you go to? If you're smart Ted you keep your options open. Just remember that when this girl Robin gets here."

"Right, like your approach with Lily."

"Ted, Lily is part of my strategy. If girls think your taken that's like a testimonial from a satisfied customer" Barney stated smugly.

"So then why are you telling me not to get involved with Robin?" Ted crossed his arms petulantly.

"Ted remember in high school, that girl Victoria?"

"Not this again" Ted covered his ears.

"Remember how I warned you against being exclusive sophomore year and then you did it anyway. Then you spent the entire rest of high school married to the girl that dumped you two weeks before prom to go with Kevin?"

Ted nodded "What's the point Barney? Are you ever going to get over that because I have."

"Ted, the reason being in a relationship doesn't help your game is because you turn into 'relationship-Ted'" Barney air-quoted, "and relationship-Ted sucs!" Barney explained like an omnipotent authority on the subject.

"I am not that bad" Ted objected.

"No you're worse" Barney agreed. "Oh Victoria can I hold the door for you, can I buy you a one month anniversary present and then every month after that, can I do your math homework for you, can I chew your gum for you, no really I don't mind missing the football game my best friend got us tickets too I'd much rather go Christmas caroling and go to first base with you dear…"

"Shut up Barney," Ted said sounding put out.

"You shut up," Barney snapped back.

"Whoa! Time out! Hot shot, pretty boy what did I miss?" Lily intervened calling them by the pet names she had given them over the past month. She was wearing a short jean skirt, knee high platform boots, and black camisole under a jean jacket. The hues of purple in her ruby choker matched the lowlights in her hair almost exactly. Her mascara and eyeliner were bold and made her look older, but very sexy judging from the stares she was garnering from several guys watching her sashay around the room. Barney kissed her seductively and wrapped an arm around her petite waist.

"Nothing babe, nothing" Barney kissed a line from her temple to her ear whispering "every girl in here is completely jealous".

"Really is that because of me or because I'm with you?" Lily smirked.

"Haha. Does it even matter?"

"Whatever you say" Lily purred smiling at him indulgently, her crimson hair cascading over her shoulders.

"Fashionably late as always," Ted commented impatiently under his breath, "Is she here?" he asked, checking his watch for the fifth time that minute.

"Sorry, I just wanted to look nice," Lily joked.

"You look hot," Barney mouthed.

"Yeah, real eye candy" Ted muttered.

"Hey, I want to show you something" Barney said remembering the little surprise he had in store.

"Hey, Lily, didn't Robin like come tonight?" Ted asked again sounding paranoid.

"What?" Lily asked Barney ignoring Ted.

"This" Barney removed the ski cap he'd been wearing and pointed at his right ear lobe.

"No way!" Lily squealed at the solid black stud newly implanted in her boyfriend's ear.

"Legendary! I know" Barney bragged, putting the cap on her head playfully.

Lily's squealing became high-pitched as Barney attempted to yank the cap down over her eyes and Ted recovered his ears scanning the room for any sign of a girl that could be Robin.

"Barney … stop!" Lily was screeching ecstatically.

"Oh, can't you two control yourself for five minutes?" Ted asked derisively. But he had to laugh when Lily tried to mess with Barney's hair knowing how much time and product had actually gone into that masterpiece.

"I wanted you to be the first to see it" Barney said as Lily pulled him in for another lingering kiss.

"Barney I was the first to see!" Ted corrected irritated Lily and Barney spent nearly every afternoon like this. "I had the displeasure of watching him do that to himself" Ted informed Lily.

"Yeah but you don't count" Barney stated.

"You did that?" Lily asked Barney sounding impressed.

"Of course" Barney answered. Ted scowled. Where was Robin already?

As if Ted had finally conjured her up by his obsessive thoughts, Lily claimed to spot Robin across the room about two seconds later.

"There she is! Be right back" Lily gave Barney another peck on the cheek before heading off.

Ted strained from his vantage point to get a glimpse just as Barney annoyingly blocked his line of vision for a final pep talk. "Remember Ted don't let this girl start ruining,,, sorry Freudian slip…running your life the way …" but Ted just tuned him out he was beyond excited to meet Robin to let Barney ruin anything.

Lily spotted Robin talking to the girls that lived on their suite, girls who Lily hated for being so trashy with their cigarettes and sloppy bathroom hogging habits among other things.

"Finally Robin! Did you get lost on the way from the bathroom?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"What's the rush? I came didn't I? It's not like Ted is going anywhere" Robin responded turning to laugh at nothing with Claire and Shelly.

Lily recognized the smoky air around her and judging from the blasé tone in Robin's voice…"Were you smoking?" she accused inhaling smoke fumes.

"If you're gonna get all patronizing maybe I'll just go" Robin threatened, contemplating an escape route.

"No no nope" Lily hissed adamantly, dragging Robin along towards the guys.

"I don't think I can do this" Robin admitted trying to break out of Lily's death grip. Feeling her fears of becoming vulnerable surfacing with a vengeance.

But Lily was unrelenting. "Robin quit fighting me on this, Ted is waiting."

"Alrighhhhttttttttt, fine" Robin pouted.

"Hey guys! Meet my friend Robin!" she practically shoved Robin towards Ted for good measure.

Barney whirled around. "Have you met -" normally he initiated all his wingman introductions with the same classic line. But for the first time he couldn't get the rest of the words out. Staring at Robin, this amazing girl who seemed classy yet rough around the edges took his breath away. And it was like this overwhelming sense of deja vu. Barney swallowed hard. He knew this girl from somewhere, but then again he knew so many. Maybe she just seemed familiar?

"Ted" Ted finished, casting Barney a dubious glare. "I'm Ted" he raised his hand in full teacher's pet adorkable mode causing Lily and Robin to giggle.

"and this is my Barney" Lily announced brightly.

Ted snorted as she bounced into Barney's arms and snuggled against him.

"Obviously" Robin remarked, seeing as how Lily had attached herself to him.

"Obviously" Ted echoed Robin's choice of words. "So, Robin, what are you majoring in?" Ted quickly pounced with a blinding smile.

"Uhh journalism" Robin answered. As she tucked her chestnut hair behind her ear, her eyes connected with Barney's. She had a weird feeling, like her journalist sixth sense was kicking in trying to search her mental database for some memory.

"Awesome so what classes -" Ted began asking.

"I write an online blog" Barney interrupted. "Online journalism if you will."

"Online diary is more like it" Ted couldn't help barbing his best friend.

"About what?" Robin asked, her attention instantly shifting back to Barney.

"Nothing" Ted answered for him.

"I think it's sweet Barney! Why haven't you ever mentioned it before" Lily wondered.

"I didn't think you'd be interested," Barney shrugged.

"It's called the Bro-Code, only the holy grail of everything Barney" Ted explained.

Lily and Robin exchanged confused looks like they were missing something.

"Yeah but Ted's addicted."

Robin smiled, "Awesome."

"What up!" Barney put his hand up for a high five. As if they'd been doing the bit forever, Robin obliged slapping his hand a little too hard.

"She's Canadian" Lily explained, seeing her boyfriend try not to wince.

"I'm a quarter Canadian!" Barney enthused.

"You are?" Lily asked.

"What are the odds" Robin said, unable to unlock her eyes from Barney's.

"Yeah way random!" Ted laughed breaking the tension. "Want to get drinks Robin? Out by the pool" he gestured.

Robin nodded sure. "See you in a hot minute" Lily winked.

"Later" Robin told her, flashing Barney a grin.

"Thanks guys! Wow she is amazing!" Ted had turned back to say before following Robin through the crowded room towards the patio. Lily looked pleased, resting her head on Barney's chest admiring her latest matchmaker success. On the other hand, Barney wanted to accept zero credit for the setup. He felt something a lot deeper that he may need to blog through. Something like the center of his world just shifted. Something that he could even apply his coined expression "a Ted moment" to. Was the universe wondering which twosome in this foursome was going to fall in love or did it already know?

**This is chapter one. Let me know if this is fic worthy…please!